An umbrella body of Africanist organisations is set to be officially launched in the wake of the meeting between Pan Africanist Congress leader Jafta Masemola and African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela and a forthcoming Pan Africanist Congress conference on negotiations in Harare later this month. Pan Africanist Movement representative, Benny Alexander, told the Weekly Mail yesterday the exact date of Pam’s launch would be announced next week.
Alexander said Pam was comprised of organisations such as the African Women’s Organisation, formed in 1986, the Azanian National Youth Unity and cultural organisations. It will draw together those organisations that embrace the nationalist principles of the PAC. Although Pam and the banned PAC could be seen as ”ideological bedfellows”, Pam is not a front for the PAC, Alexander said. The PAC has announced a three¬ day conference in Harare starting on November 24 where they will present: their alternative to the ANC position· on negotiations. The PAC delegation ‘will be led by chairman Johnson Mlambo. South African trade unionists, journalists, churchmen and lawyers are expected to attend.
Yesterday the banned organisation said in a statement to Weekly Mail that the meeting would ”definitely re¬ state the fact that we are a colonised people and that colonisation meant land dispossession with all its natural wealth below the ground, above it and in its waters. Obviously these are now in a few hands at the expense of the majority. ”Cosmetic reforms, like a few black faces in a divided parliament, make a mockery of all the excitement about negotiations. Apartheid and all its manifestations must be eradicated not reformed.”
Yesterday Alexander said Pam had dismissed the preconditions for negotiations as prescribed by the Mass Democratic Movement as having ”very little significance. ”We are prepared to negotiate if the following conditions exist: one person, one vote in a unitary state without any constitutional checks and balances for any group; and the redistribution of resources, of which land is primary. ”Once these two conditions are met, such things as unbannings and releases of political prisoners will fall into place.”
Yesterday recently released PAC leader Masemola met Mandela at Victor Verster. One of the topics believed to be on the agenda was that of unity. The PAC commented on the meeting. ”The PAC has said many times before that it stands for principled unity with all organisations of the oppressed and we have no objection to the two discussing it. ”Masemola has no specific mandate to do so but we have full confidence in him and, after the meeting, he will report to the PAC president and the issue will be democratically discussed …” – Cassandra Moodley
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
